Mohammed Mala Hassan, Khanaqin district’s commissioner for 16 years, retired and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party will appoint his successor per its share.
Since 2004, PUK has secured Khanaqin commissioner position and since then Hassan had held the office.
“Mohammed Mala Hassan retired based on Iraqi retirement law in early 2020 and legal procedures have already started to leave office,” more than a source in Khanaqin’s commissioner’s office told KirkukNow.
Kurds in particular the PUK consider the districts’ commissioner as their share because the party gained most votes in the previous elections.
Said Talib, deputy head of PUK headquarter in Khanaqin, said, “when Hassan leaves office, Diyala governor will designate a caretaker commissioner to administer the district until the next provincial elections.”
All provincial councils were dissolved by the Iraqi parliament last October and the provincial election day is set to April 20, 2020, but it is unclear if it is going to be held due to the political turmoil the country is going through.
Dlir Saya, a PUK member and administrative assistant to Diyala governor, is a strong candidate for the position.
Talib explained that the nominee has to be one of the subdistrict commissioners of Diyala, or a high position either in the ministry of interior or Diyala province office.
Kurds are majority in Khanaqin district located in northern Diyala. Arabs and Turkmen are also ethnic groups of the town.
